RE: Help! Need official support for non-standard capitalization

["Brierley, Sean" <Sean -at- Quodata -dot- Com>]

Hallo:

My opinion is that a proper-noun-name does not change based on its position
in a sentence. However, this was not an issue until quite recently, with
proper nouns that use an initial lower-case letter becoming popular.

Section 7.3 of the Chicago Manual of Style, 14th Ed., describes how patterns
of capitalization are adaptable but must be consistent: thus, if you
consistently use the lowercase e, there is no problem despite what someone
thinks they found in the NY Times "standards."

Speaking of, why don't you track down what document is meant by "NY Times
Standards," and make sure that the application of the rule (to a business
with a lower-case letter at the start of the name) is correct.

Best regards,

Sean
sean -at- quodata -dot- com

P.S. As an afterthought, is this a worthwhile battle for someone who is new
to a company?

> -----Original Message-----
> From:	anne -at- visi -dot- com [SMTP:anne -at- visi -dot- com]
> 
> I need some help to challenge the status quo on the capitalization of
> a company name.
> 
> I just started a job with e.Thingummy, Inc.  (Note: names have been
> changed to protect the innocent...)
> 
> However, in marketing materials and white papers, the current PR firm
> uses "E.Thingummy" when the company name starts a sentence.
> 
> I'm concerned about the confusion factor of this capitalization shift,
> but was told that this capitalization conforms to the New York Times'
> standards.
> 
> Can anyone help provide a reference to any respected standard-setting
> body that might allow the preservation of an initial lower-case letter
> in a company name?
> 
> 		Many thanks,
> 		  Anne Chenette